Archive for the ‘Teacher Welfare’ Category
November 11, 2011
We are currently living in the age of “the hamstrung teacher’. Never has it been so hard for teachers to gain control, receive respect and maintain some semblance of authority.
Blogs and staff rooms are replete with dispirited and powerless teachers struggling with unruly and defiant students. It wasn’t long ago that teachers were able to meter out tough and effective consequences for bad behaviour. Unfortunately, it is so much harder now than it ever was to find the right penalty for inappropriate and insubordinate behaviour.
Why not send them to the Principal?
The Principal used to be an imposing figure. – someone you didn’t want to meet, even to get a certificate or compliment. Students used to avoid the Principal like a plague. Principal’s used to concern themselves with discipline issues and take charge when students overstepped the mark. But nowadays a visit to the Principal’s office is not all that dissimilar to a trip to the fun park. A Principal’s job now is to keep parents and students happy and leave the real disciplining to the teachers.
“Next time try not calling the teacher those names.”
What about suspending them?
Nine hundred students are suspended every day in England. In Australia it is 100 per day. Being suspended used to be a humiliation. It would involve notifying the students’ parents, who would be none too happy to receive the phone call. Now suspensions presents just another opportunity to get back to the Playstation or X-Box. Parents often reassure their kids and allow them to go home and vegetate. Hardly a real punishment!
What about taking away their recess?
Don’t tell the civil libertarians about this mode of punishment! According to law, students can only be kept in for some of recess, not the entire playtime. And anyway, why should the teacher be punished? Teachers rely on their lunch breaks to recharge and re-energize. Monitoring detention just isn’t fair.
What about ringing the parents?
Parents used to be on the side of the teacher. When a teacher called a parent, that parent would take stock of what the teacher was saying and become partners in helping manage the problem. Nowadays, parents are likely to become defensive, make excuses and become unwitting enablers for their children’s poor behaviour.
Please note, that I am not tainting all parents. On the contrary, the parents I work with have been incredibly open and supportive. I am merely pointing out that trends are changing and punishments that used to make students squirm and think twice before acting, are now no longer a deterrent.
It is also important to note that most teachers are not trigger happy when it comes to punishments. We don’t like punishing students. We try to command respect rather than demand it. But there are times when all semblance of control is lost and students are purposely trying to sabotage the class and undermine their teacher.
In those cases, the teacher is often left to raise their arms skyward and ponder what it is they can do to remedy the situation.
Tags:Classroom Management, Consequences, Control, Detentions, Education, Education Policy, life, Parenting, Principals, Psychology, Punishments, Suspensions, Teacher Welfare, Teachers
Posted in Classroom Management, Teacher Welfare | 4 Comments »
November 4, 2011
Teacher burnout is a significant problem that strike even the very best of teachers. Even the most passionate and dedicated of teachers struggle to see out a term out without getting sick or feeling extremely fatigued.
The question is, how do we address this problem?
Research shows the teaching profession has the highest burnout rate of any public service job. What can we do to keep the best and the brightest teachers in the classroom?
In April, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) released the report, “Workplaces That Support High-Performing Teaching and Learning: Insights From Generation Y Teachers.”Gen Y teachers—that is, those under 30 years of age—account for at least one in five teachers in US classrooms today. They start out intending to make teaching a lifelong profession. However, according to the report, young teachers leave the profession at a rate 51 percent higher than older teachers and transfer to a different school at a rate 91 percent higher than their older colleagues. Studies also show that the national teacher-turnover rate costs school districts approximately $7 billion annually.
In the AFT/AIR report, young teachers say they want:
- Feedback on their performance and to be evaluated in a fair way
- Time to collaborate with their colleagues
- Differentiated pay for high performance
- Technology to provide engaging and effective lessons, as well as to support collaboration with other teachers through, for instance, videos and conferencing technology.
I agree with every point, but have a problem with the third one. Whilst I believe Governments should look into a differentiated model of pay for high performers, I don’t believe such an initiative would have any bearing on cases of teacher burnout.
The list of proposed changes by young teachers above is most fair and reasonable. If responded to, the outcomes could be quite positive all around. It’s certainly time to better address teacher burnout. It’s an issue that cannot be dismissed and will not go away.
Tags:AFT, AIR, American Federation of Teachers, American Institutes for Research, and Effectiveness, Burnout, Education, Generation Y, life, National Education Association, Retention, Susan Moore Johnson, Teacher, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Welfare, teacher-turnover, Teachers, Teaching, technology, The Workplace Matters—Teacher Quality, Workplaces That Support High-Performing Teaching and Learning
Posted in Teacher Welfare | 1 Comment »
October 28, 2011
It seems to be more fashionable than ever to knock teachers. Teachers are being dubbed as lazy and inept.
In truth it is easy to criticise teachers but very hard to be one.
We need more articles like this one by Patricia McGuire to defend teachers and set the record straight.
Yes, teachers should certainly be held accountable for excellence in teaching and for measurable results in the progress their students make each day. Teachers are on the front line of student learning assessment, since they really do know better than anyone else what makes a child successful or lackadaisical, engaged or detached in class. Standardized tests rarely measure the real progress that teachers make with some of the most challenging pupils whose learning styles are far off the normed curves.
The current fashion in education reform treats teachers as lazy slugs who care little about whether their students are learning anything. The assumption behind using standardized testing for teacher evaluation is that the only way to make teachers care about learning is to embarrass them publicly when their students do not perform according to someone else’s idea of norms. This assumption is what is truly preposterous!
For teachers who choose to devote their life’s work to some of the most difficult classrooms in America, such as here in the District of Columbia, the testing imperative becomes a monumental disincentive to stay in the classroom for any length of time, since the opportunities for sustained superior results on standardized tests are rare, while the risks of frequent subpar results are very high. It’s no secret that the widely-hailed Teach for America program has ingrained two-year turnover in its teaching corps. TFA teachers rarely stay to wrestle through the down years, which are frequent among students in marginalized communities.
Governments are so busy trying to find a negatively geared incentive for teachers and a scale that compares their effectiveness that they have lost sight of the most important pieces of the Education reform puzzle:
1. Revolutionise teacher training programs to focus on the practical instead of the theoretical.
2. Have measures in place that allow all teachers (especially new teachers) the support they need.
3. Spend more time critiquing schools with questionable cultures of bullying and harrasment. Give these school’s the support they need to better handle their affairs.
Tags:Arne Duncan, Education, Education Reform, Lazy, life, Parenting, Patricia McGuire, Standardized Tests, Teach for America, Teacher Assessment, Teacher Evaluation System, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Training, Teacher Welfare, Teachers, Teaching, Value Added Teacher Evaluation
Posted in Teacher Training, Teacher Welfare | 2 Comments »
October 25, 2011
Unfortunately, teachers and Facebook aren’t always a match made in heaven. Whilst the vast majority of teachers on Facebook are responsible and mature enough to stay out of trouble, there’s always a news story popping up about tasteless comments a teacher made against students or minority groups. This month it is Viki Knox, a Special Education teacher who was rightly condemned for her anti-gay comments on Facebook.
The media storm resulting from the Knox case and others like it serve as a timely reminder to teachers on Facebook that they must be extremely careful not to offend (something which shouldn’t be hard to do).
But what about the myriad of incidents of parents and students ganging up on and bullying teachers?
More than one in seven teachers has been the victim of cyberbullying by pupils or parents, and almost half know a colleague who has been targeted, according to a survey published today.
Students have set up “hate” groups on social networking sites calling for specific teachers to be sacked and have even created fake profiles in their names containing defamatory information.
Schools must make clear to pupils that such behaviour will lead to punishment, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said.
Schools seem to be increasingly soft on parents that bully teachers. Turning a blind-eye to Facebook campaigns and insulting comments against teachers is not acceptable. Teachers so often feel isolated and powerless against taunts from parents.
Who do they turn to for support?
When schools claim to have a “zero tolerance for bullying”, they ought to include bullying of teachers by parents. Any parent caught bullying a teacher online should be subjected to the same penalty as a teacher. They should be told to take their child and find another school.
If you think that’s harsh, try being a bullied teacher. I’m glad I’ve never been bullied, because I guarantee you, it’s not easy!
Tags:Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Bebo, Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Education, facebook, Gay, Julian Stanley, Nick Clayton, Ofsted, Parenting, social media, Teacher Support Network, Teachers, Viki Knox
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Dealing with Parents, Parenting, Teacher Welfare | 2 Comments »
October 5, 2011
People who don’t know me well assume that I fell into teaching because it pays my bills. They look at a male primary teacher and think that I must have been low on choices to pick a profession that the average man wouldn’t opt for in a million years.
Their impressions are all wrong. In fact, I did have choices, but all I wanted to do was to teach. It’s hard to explain to those who associate teaching with low pay, long hours, high stress, immense pressure and classroom management headaches.
I read a brilliant piece by student teacher Stephanie Vincent, entitled ‘Why I Really Shouldn’t Be a Teacher‘. She lists 3 reasons why she shouldn’t go down the path she is going – the workload, lack of recognition and the challenges stemming from difficult parents.
Yet, with all those detracting factors, she is very happy with her choice:
By becoming a teacher I will be lucky enough to spend every day doing something that I’m passionate about. From the first day of my teaching practicum I felt as though I had entered a sacred world, and I can confidently say that I want to spend my future there. Quite simply, I love teaching and children.
Luckily, I don’t seek recognition or a prestigious job. I want a job that excites me. Every day students remind teachers why they teach. This was made clear to me throughout my practicum experience. When I was able to connect with students or when I saw students’ eyes light up when they finally understood a difficult concept, I felt deeply rewarded. Students are why teachers teach.
But what about those difficult parents I mentioned? Although I have not yet had to deal with upset parents, I did deal with an upsetting experience. I worked with one student in particular in a one-on-one setting, and we developed a close bond. During my practicum her entire life was essentially flipped upside down, and she reached out to me. It was devastating to know what she was going through. I was helpless and questioned my ability to deal with it. I discussed my fears with my teaching associate, and as always, she was amazing. She reminded me that, as a teacher, I could help this student. Teachers are in a unique position in that they can provide every child in their class with a positive environment, for at least part of their day, and show them that someone cares.
Suddenly those three reasons I talked about above for not becoming a teacher seem far away. I cannot think of anything that I would rather do. I want to learn how to teach so that I can spend every day with students and so that we can learn from each other. Each and every student brims with energy and unrealized possibility. I want to help them release that energy and realize their potential. In the end, teaching is the most rewarding and enjoyable job anyone can do.
This was just a pleasure to read. There is so much negativity surrounding this great profession, it is a joy to read from a passionate and driven teacher. I wish Stephanie all the best during her training and beyond. She presents as the type of teacher you’d want looking after your child. She reminds disillusioned teachers that if they don’t feel the same way as she does, they should perhaps consider a change of career.
Tags:Education, Inspirational Teachers, life, Parenting, Stephanie Vincent, Teacher, Teacher Training, Teacher Welfare, Teachers, Teachers Salary, Teaching, University of Lethbridge
Posted in Inspirational Teachers, Teacher Training, Teacher Welfare, Teachers Salary, Teachers Stress | 2 Comments »
September 19, 2011
I commend all students brave enough to speak out against teachers who have abused them physically or emotionally.
To those students who make up false allegations, I hope you realise what damage such a claim makes to the teacher and his/her family. Shame on you!
I hope William Stuart’s story serves as a reminder for such misguided and selfish students to think carefully about the implications of a false allegation:
After a 23-year unblemished career as a teacher, William Stuart was arrested six months ago and accused of assaulting a 15-year-old girl in a corridor at Graham School, Scarborough.
During the court case, magistrates heard that the girl and friends had smeared an iced bun over the wall of the school canteen. Mr Stuart, an assistant head teacher, had shouted at the group to remain in the dining hall to clean up but the girl refused and began to walk away.
It was then, according to the girl’s testimony, that a “really, really angry” Mr Stuart followed her and backed her up on to coat pegs before pushing her to the floor.
Mr Stuart’s account was very different. The girl barged into him several times and threw a punch as he tried to block her path.
On Thursday it became clear whose version the magistrates believed. Mr Stuart was acquitted with the full endorsement of the bench and to cheers from the packed court. His wife, Sarah, cried tears of relief that the family’s nightmare was finally over.
Whilst we must severely punish any teacher found dealing inappropriately with students we must also do everything we can to deter students from making erroneous claims against their teachers.
Mr Stuart was just doing his job. He did absolutely nothing wrong. Yet for 6 months he had lost everything.
Tags:assistant head teacher, Education, Graham School, Law, life, Michael Gove, News, Parenting, Robert Goodwill, Scarborough, William Stuart
Posted in Teacher Welfare | 15 Comments »
September 18, 2011
I’ve been writing about this for a while. Education is supposed to be a team effort. All parts of the system are supposed to work with each other and for each other. Yet, it always seems to be that the teachers get singled out for blame. Poor testing results – blame the teachers, a bullying problem – blame the teachers, lack of classroom control – yep, let’s blame the teachers for that too.
The question has to be asked: At what point do we focus our attention on the administrators when handing out the blame? It seems to me that whilst there is always going to be poor teachers in the system, nowhere near enough focus is directed to policy makers as well as those in management positions and on school counsels.
That’s why it is refreshing to have documentaries like “Waiting for Superman” and articles like the one written by Saul Rubinstein, Charles Heckscher and Paul Adler in the L.A. Times:
Most of the current efforts to improve public education begin with the flawed assumption that the basic problem is teacher performance. This “blame the teacher” attitude has led to an emphasis on standardized tests, narrow teacher evaluation criteria, merit pay, erosion of tenure, privatization, vouchers and charter schools. The primary goal of these measures has been greater teacher accountability — as if the weaknesses of public education were due to an invasion of our classrooms by uncaring and incompetent teachers. That is the premise of the documentary, “Waiting for Superman,” and of the attacks on teachers and their unions by politicians across the country.
Much of the current wave of school reform is informed by the same management myths that almost destroyed U.S. manufacturing. Instead of seeing teachers as key contributors to system improvement efforts, reformers are focused on making teachers more replaceable. Instead of involving teachers and their unions in collaborative reform, they are being pushed aside as impediments to top-down decision-making. Instead of bringing teachers together to help each other become more effective professionals, district administrators are resorting to simplistic quantified individual performance measures. In reality, schools are collaborative, not individual, enterprises, so teaching quality and school performance depend above all on whether the institutional systems support teachers’ efforts.
Whilst I am not a fan of unions, it upsets me that teachers are often singled out when there are other integral stakeholders who should be sharing the blame for poor results.
Tags:Administrators, Blame, Charles Heckscher and Paul Adler, Documentary, Education, LA Times, life, Saul Rubinstein, Standardized Tests, Teacher Union, Teachers, Waiting for Superman
Posted in Teacher Welfare | 1 Comment »
August 16, 2011
I don’t understand why parents can’t be subject to the kinds of consequences their children are for bullying and harassment. Parents who set up internet groups and Facebook pages to spread untruths about their childs’ teacher should be punished for their actions. Anything from a warning to in the most serious offences expulsion of their child from school is appropriate.
Some may think this is a bit harsh and that children should not be penalised for the deeds of their parents, but bullying is a very serious offence and schools that take it seriously reap the rewards by maintaining a safe environment. Schools are too dismissive of parents who bully teachers. Teachers often feel marginalised and lacking of support. The statement that bullying of any kind will result in strong penalties is essential to delivering the best outcomes from an academic and social standpoint.
Bullying like this should not be tolerated:
Teachers are the latest group found to be at risk of cyber-bullying, according to a recent report.
The study by Professor Andy Phippen found several instances where teachers had been targeted for abuse by social media users on websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
One head teacher interviewed for the study said she had a breakdown and was left feeling suicidal.
The headteacher suffered a year of abuse by a parent at her school who used a Google group to post libellous untruths about her and her school. “I eventually had a mini breakdown in the summer holiday, needing an emergency doctor to be called out as I had become suicidal,” she told researchers.
The message should ring loud and clear – Either play by our rules or find somewhere else to send your kids!
Tags:Bullying, Cyberbullying, Education, facebook, Google group, Law, life, Parenting, Professor Andy Phippen, School, Schools, social media, Teachers, Teaching, Twitter
Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Teacher Welfare | 1 Comment »
August 9, 2011
The scariest thing about education today is not that it doesn’t seem to be nearly effective enough, but that those that challenge conventions and think outside the square get castigated for their opinions.
I have a great deal of respect for teachers that do things differently, whether their methods work or not. Experimentation and ongoing reflection is necessary at a time when curriculums all over the world seem stale and soulless.
Firing a teacher for daring to point out the flaws in our system is not acceptable:
New York City teaching fellow Alice McIntosh is fighting for her job at a District 75 school in the Bronx after receiving unsatisfactory ratings from her supervisor – even though she was given glowing recommendations from parents and peers after her second year of teaching.
“Ms. McIntosh should have gotten an award,” said Theresa Smith, 47, whose daughter Vernisha suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Instead, the experienced educator was fired, she said.
Assistant principal William Green, who gave McIntosh satisfactory ratings during the 2009-10 school year at P10X in Throgs Neck, deemed she was unfit to teach this past school year.
“I asked, ‘Why are you U-rating me?'” McIntosh recalled. “[Green] said, ‘I’m not going to get into that right now. I would suggest in your next job that you be more of a team player.'”
A city Department of Education spokeswoman said she could not comment because she was unable to reach Green.
So what did she get fired for? Merely pointing out the bleeding obvious:
McIntosh said that, as a literacy teacher at the special-needs school, she openly challenged the curriculum and used books she thought were less outdated.
According to observations during the 2010-11 year by Green, her methods appeared to work.
“The teacher activates prior knowledge and incorporates it into the new lesson…. The teacher conducts an excellent development of lesson with clear expectations,” one review reveals.
But that same review was used as a basis for her poor performance, which charges she flunked in “planning and preparation of work” and “control of class.”
Green also cited grounds for the dismal ratings from the 2009-10 school year – when McIntosh received glowing reviews.
It appears that Ms.McIntosh’s great crime was that she was prepared to do things differently in a system where conformity is expected and change is frowned upon. You are not considered a team player if you are critical or ignore traditions.
This is what is going to be the result of the stinking teacher evaluations. Teachers who conform and play it safe will keep their jobs, while teachers who challenge the system and try new things will be given a cardboard box to collect their belongings.
Tags:Alice McIntosh, Bronx, Careers, Education News, life, Literacy, Special Needs, Theresa Smith, William Green
Posted in Teacher Welfare | 2 Comments »
August 7, 2011
Could there be anything worse for a teacher than to be falsely accused of pedophilia? To frame someone as a pedophile purely out of spite goes beyond all reason.
Police are hunting the creator of a fake Facebook profile that was used to impersonate a Sydney primary school teacher and frame him as a paedophile by targeting kids at his school.
The teacher, who cannot be named, is a long-time campaigner against racism online and with others he runs a blog that names and shames racists by publishing their hate-filled Facebook postings.
In a phone interview, he said he believed this is why he was targeted. He said he and his family had been harassed over the phone, received death threats and had threatening notes left in his mail box after his personal details – including his address, phone number, photos and work details – were posted on a white supremacist website.
“This Facebook profile opened up a couple of days ago with a picture of me and a friend with shirts off holding a beer … they were writing things on the wall such as ‘i’m gay and I like little boys’ and all sorts of things like that,” the teacher said in a phone interview.
“They were engaging with students – kids were commenting and they were writing back pretending to be me.”
I hope they catch the people responsible and give them prison time to reflect on their awful behaviour.
Tags:Education, facebook, life, Parenting, social media, Teacher, white supremacist
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